Weekly Roundup For Your Weekend Reading – March 10

These are things that we need each and every day. Consider how you can take these 7 promises and strive to remind yourself of them on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. Pull in a brother or sister in Christ to be part of the process!

“You may have heard me say this before, but it’s worth repeating again: I’m deeply persuaded that many Christians, myself included, have a big gap in the middle of our gospel theology. Let me break it down and then apply it in a fresh way. I think we have a strong understanding of the theology of gospel past – meaning, we trust deeply in the historical sacrifice of Jesus which paid the penalty for our sins. I also think that we have a strong understanding of the theology of gospel future – meaning, we trust eagerly in the eternal promise of heaven that’s coming. But there’s something missing in the middle. We either don’t understand, or fail to embrace, the theology of the “now-ism” of the gospel. In other words, we don’t take full advantage of all the benefits of the work of Christ today….”

Do you like reading things that provide practical and accessible things to take away? Well, this article does just that, and in a way that effects you every week if you are attending corporate worship.

“Corporate worship on the Lord’s day is precious to the people of God. We are invited to gather together for fellowship with God and one another through both word and sacrament, prayer and song. This gathering is perhaps the most beautiful, earthly picture we have of the church as we, of differing backgrounds and interests, unite together in Jesus Christ. Yet, Sundays can be trying. We are busy and tired from a week of labor and activities. For those families with children just getting out the door on time can be a challenge–if not a battle! And when we finally sit down in church we are assaulted with distractions emerging from our own hearts and minds. I want to encourage you to make the most of corporate worship, not just this weekend, but every weekend. As we look forward to what God will do among us as we gather let’s remember that there are three ways to get the most out of your Sundays with the church: prepare, participate, and reflect….”

I find it helpful to be reminded of this on a regular basis. Not from the standpoint of emotion, human reasoning and argumentation, but from the standpoint of God’s eternal truth found in the Bible. This article roots our understanding of this complex subject in the Scriptures.

“The relationship between God’s sovereignty and human responsibility is not instantly obvious, and at first glance it seems paradoxical. But Scripture offers us considerable insight into how these twin truths harmonize within the plan of redemption….”

“As we talked about his sin, I reminded him of the gospel. God sent his son Jesus to die on the cross so we could be forgiven of our sin. Because we’re forgiven, we should live differently—not for his acceptance, but from his acceptance. We say no to ourselves and yes to God because he loves us and is making us more like himself. And when we look like Christ, the world sees a glimpse of the greatness of God. If I refuse to tell my kids they’re sinners, I’m forfeiting a chance to communicate gospel grace….“